The Victory by Cynthia Harrod-Eagles

your state of mind, and come to the point, if indeed you have one.'
    ‘ The point is that your wife is with child by me,' Weston said, stung by the contempt in the earl's voice, 'and that I have no wish of concealment in the matter. I have come to ask you to divorce her, so that I may take responsibility for her and the child.'
    ‘ Divorce is out of the question. I have already told my wife so. She might have saved you the trouble of this application.’
      ‘ She did tell me that, but I must beg you to —'
    ‘ Captain Weston,' Aylesbury lifted an imperative hand, 'let us understand each other and have done with all this. I have said that divorce is out of the question, and I shall not change my mind. I have no intention of going through all the unpleasantness, scandal and disgrace merely for your con venience. Lucy is my wife, and she will remain my wife, and I shall do my best to retrieve what little reputation is left to her. You, I believe, will soon be going to sea, which will be the best thing for all of us. When you are ashore, you may continue to see her as you do now. I could prevent that, but I have no wish to exert myself; or, as it happens, to make her so unhappy. And that is all I have to say to you.'
    ‘ I'm sorry, sir, but I can't leave it there,' said Weston. ‘Lucy says that you have told her the child must be placed with foster parents. If you don't mean to acknowledge it, if you feel such aversion to it, why prevent me from accepting my responsibility? I want to look after her — and the child. I know I can't marry her legally, but if you would only divorce her, I would be a husband to her in every other way. I can change my commission for a shore appointment. When the war is over, if you like we could go abroad. You need never see or hear of us —’
    Aylesbury sighed. 'I can see I shall have to be plainer still. I married Lucy in the first place in order to get an heir for my title and estate. This was a duty I owed to my family. It happened also to suit the Morland family very well, but that's beside the point. I have always let her do pretty much as she pleased, provided the primary purpose of our marriage was fulfilled. The scandal she has caused by her liaison with you is a fleeting and unimportant thing, but this child — which everyone would know is not mine — and a divorce could cause great damage to my family, and I do not propose to allow it. As to your taking care of her, forgive me if I continue to believe that I can do that better than you.'
    ‘ And her wishes in the matter are not important?' Weston asked hotly. 'You would separate her from her own child?’
      ‘ Lucy has everything she wants. She has wealth, position, the protection of my name, and she is free to consort with you as and when she pleases. As to the children, I have never noticed that she is particularly fond of the three she has already — not even the last one you fathered on her, Captain Weston.’
    Weston was dumbfounded. 'What do you mean?' he asked at last in a faint voice.
    Aylesbury's smile was one of pure malice. 'She didn't tell you, then? We were both quite grateful to you, you know. Our first two endeavours had only produced girls, and I think Lucy found the business as distasteful as I did. The arrival of your boy provided me with the heir I needed, so that we need never go through it again.'
    ‘ You mean the baby — Roland — is my son?' He stared, trying to make sense of it.
    ‘No, Captain, not any more. He is my son, my heir: Roland Chetwyn, Viscount Calder, who will be seventh Earl of Ayles bury after my death.’
    Weston looked stunned, like a man who had been struck a very hard blow. 'I never knew ... I never even suspected ...’
      ‘ We were at pains you should not,' Aylesbury said evenly. ‘But then — why tell me now?'
    ‘ So that you may understand the situation fully. I have my heir, and I'm grateful enough to you and Lucy to allow you the pleasure of each other's company,